Romanian stowaway hides on Vienna to London flight

A 20-year-old Romanian miraculously survived a Vienna to London flight hidden in the plane's landing gear.

The private jet was stationary at Vienna airport when the man scrambled under a perimeter fence and made for the plane without being detected by security. He climbed into the plane's landing gear and settled down for his Vienna to London flight. He was lucky not to be crushed to death when the landing gear was raised after takeoff.

When the plane landed at Heathrow airport in London, the Romanian fell out of the landing gear and was apprehended by police. He was kept in a holding cell, and there were no reports that he sustained any injuries during his treacherous journey. He has now been released from custody with a caution.

The Romanian was hoping to land in London unnoticed and search for work in the capital. There is currently a restriction on the number of Romanians that are allowed to work in the UK.

It's lucky the man survived the Vienna to London flight, which lasted 90 minutes. Due to bad weather, the plane was forced to fly lower than it would normally. If it had flown at a higher altitude, then the man would probably have succumbed to the extreme, freezing temperatures of such a height. Even so, the Romanian was still subjected to a temperature of -41°C and a limited supply of oxygen.

The incident raises concerns about airport security. It's not the first time someone has hidden on a plane. Other stowaways haven't been as lucky as the Romanian. In February the body of a man who died of hypothermia was found in the landing gear of a New York to Tokyo flight, while another died in the nose gear wheel well of a Shanghai to San Francisco flight in 2007.

The jet carrying the stowaway on its Vienna to London flight belongs to a sheikh from the United Arab Emirates. The plane flew without any passengers onboard.

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